Truth Beyond Lies
by Snow Siren
Summary: 18th birthdays are supposed to be special. But for Ino Yamanaka, it just isn’t the case. Especially not when your father’s gift is a guy… GaaxIno
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I deny claiming ownership over Naruto.

Summary: _Lies. Mouths can lie but hearts… they speak nothing but the truth. So when the heart does the talk, there's no point in denying. Right?_

Author's Note: This fic is created out of boredom so don't take it seriously otherwise you'll get a heart attack and I won't take blame for that. Characters may be OOC too but it is expected since the setting of the story is different and I'm talking about noble classes here. I want to be as realistic as I can get. So don't complain.

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**Truth Beyond Lies**

_Prologue_

"Today is execution day," she muttered to herself, her hands clenched tightly in front of her.

The day she had long dread has finally arrived and she knew, that in a matter of minutes, her life was going to end. She started to walk slowly. Every step she took led her closer to her graveyard and she was taking her time, prolonging the agony that was currently imposed on her. She didn't mind. What is there to hurry anyway?

When she reached her destination, she smiled bitterly. Ironically, the place didn't look a bit like hell. The room was beautifully decorated (the flower ornaments were her favorite) and on the floor were scattered petals of red roses. The people were different too. They didn't have horns and tails like devils do. Instead, they all looked as if they just stepped out of a magazine. Magnificent suits were worn by men and elegant dresses for the women. They were talking and laughing and enjoying themselves so much that she wanted to burst out crying. She was mourning, and here they were, having the time of their lives.

She refused to show that she was crumbling inside though, the way she usually does. She took a step forward, her face void of any emotion. By then, the people seemed to have sensed her presence, because all attention turned towards her.

On one corner, he watched her with keen interest. She was dressed in a lovely blue dress that seemed to match the color of her eyes. It fit her rather snugly, accentuating her curves. Her long blond hair cascaded around her shoulders perfectly. All these noted, he couldn't help but agree that she was indeed a very lovely girl.

He wasn't the only one who thought so. Almost every gentleman in the room eyed her with admiration, and it made him uncomfortable. Too damn uncomfortable.

Then, she smiled, and all men felt like they were in heaven. She was still smiling as she greeted the people around her. Most of them were men and they swarmed around her like hungry bees craving for honey. He growled inwardly at the sight.

"Quite a sight isn't she?" a voice spoke beside him.

He turned to the newcomer stiffly but relaxed when he recognized the person. "She is," he agreed casually.

The other man finished what was left of the wine in his glass. "Look at them," he said, shaking his head in disapproval. "They are like vultures hovering over a dying person. My poor darling is surrounded with such shameless men."

"And you think I am different from them?"

"I do not think. I know and I believe. Now come and let your presence be acknowledged." With that said, the older man left him to join his daughter.

He was hesitant for a second, but followed anyway.

"Darling, you look exquisite."

She smiled when she saw her father. He was beaming at her with pride and adoration in his eyes. "Thank you," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "So do you. You look half your age if I may say."

The father laughed with pleasure. "Ah, I wonder you learned that kind of speech."

"Only from the best," she said with a wink.

That was when she noticed the man beside her father. She curiously eyed him. Unruly copper hair and piercing jade eyes; two things which she thought would end up horribly when combined. She changed her mind nevertheless when she saw the handsome man in front of her.

Her heart skipped a beat when their eyes met. She had this strange feeling that somehow, both of them are connected. She looked up at her father with wide questioning eyes. Her suspicions were confirmed when her father nodded with a small encouraging smile.

Right then and there, she wanted to spat at him all kinds of curses in six different languages, handsome or not. But she knew it would never happen. Not when they were in public and her father can see. Her father brought her up to be elegant, refined and all that lady-like qualities. If she does so much as to raise _'the finger'_ he would probably die of shame.

She sighed inwardly and forced a tiny smile on her lips before turning back to the young man- the man who was going to be the cause of her death. In fact, she wanted to bury herself right at that moment.

"Hello," she greeted half heartedly. "We finally meet."

"You don't have to try so hard," he calmly remarked.

She blushed. The man can see right through her act. "Fine," she snapped. Softly, she added, "Idiot."

He blinked at the sudden change of attitude. "Careful with the tongue," he warned with a hint of teasing. "Someone might hear."

She sighed. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Yes."

"Can't we just cancel the whole thing?"

"No."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. Talking to him was like talking to a stone, only slightly better since a stone can't talk and this man can, with a word or two.

She had heard about him- mostly great things. He was a well respected man and like her, belonged to the elite society. His reputation with girls did not escape her though. He was quite popular with the opposite sex and several names were linked with his but that was about it. So far, she hasn't heard of him having serious affairs with women.

"So my life ends here, huh?" she mumbled glumly.

He raised his brows in disbelief at the overreacted statement but opted to say nothing. He shifted his gaze to the stage in the middle of the room where the host of the said event was standing.

The speech started and everyone was in full attention. She flinched when she heard the words _unity, love, happiness_ and all that mushy stuff. She wasn't feeling any of those at the moment.

"… and now I would like to call on my dearest daughter and the newest member of my family."

She froze. It was their time to show themselves on stage. She turned to the man beside him nervously. He gave a nod and held out his arm.

'_At least he's a gentleman.' _She smiled gratefully as she took his arm and they started walking towards the stage.

What happened next was something she didn't expect. She was there, in the middle of the stage with him, and suddenly, the lights turned off. She gasped in surprise, so did the other females. Murmurs could be heard, but before everyone could panic, a light shone brightly.

To her embarrassment, the light shone directly on them. And then she realized- they were just given the spotlight.

She turned to him with a confused look, but as usual, he looked impassive as ever. He reached for his pocket and took out something.

She didn't understand what was happening and she caught her father in the darkness, watching them with glinting eyes. She blinked. Wait, was that a tear? The hell, was her father crying?!

When she looked back at the man with her, he was looking at her seriously. What was he going to do?

As if to answer her silent question, he opened the small box he was holding and her eyes widened. In it was a silver ring… no, it was white gold and stoned with a brilliant heart shaped diamond.

"Accept it and be mine… forever."

She gazed at him and she could swear she saw the lightest hint of uncertainty in his eyes, but when she blinked, it was gone.

Without really thinking, she slowly held out her hand and she watched as he slipped the ring on her finger. It fitted perfectly.

There was a soft 'awww' from the female crowd and when the lights turned on again, she was gravitated back to reality. She looked at the ring on her finger in disbelief.

She, Ino Yamanaka, had just ended her life.

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A/N: It's not much but it's just the prologue. Patience is a virtue. Ja!


	2. Recollection

Disclaimer: I deny claiming ownership over Naruto.

Summary: _Lies. Mouths can lie but hearts… they speak nothing but the truth. So when the heart does the talk, there's no point in denying. Right?_

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**Truth Beyond Lies**

Chapter 1

Recollection

_**Three months earlier**_

"Your birthday's coming soon," a pink haired girl said.

At the seat across her, Ino paled. "Ah yes, uhm, I'd rather not think about it, Sakura. It's still months away."

"Three months," Sakura reminded, sensing the uneasiness Ino was feeling. "Last year, you started planning your party three months in advance. Is something wrong? You don't look so excited. You even look… scared."

Ino forced a laugh. "Of course not," she said, waving her hand as if to dismiss the idea. "This time, my father hired an event planner to do the job. Somehow, my 18th birthday is very important to him."

"An event planner?" Sakura echoed. "But isn't it too much? I mean, it's not a wedding-"

Ino's mouthful of juice went spewing across the table.

"What?"

The blond smiled sheepishly. "You were saying…?"

Sakura glared at her before continuing. "I was saying, it's not like you're having a wedding. You always manage to come up with something unique every year for your party."

She shrugged, reaching out behind her hair. She pulled the satin scarf she had used to tie her and allowed her hair to flow freely. "I need to cut my hair," she said, in an attempt to change the subject. "It's getting really long."

"Guys prefer girls with long hair."

"So that's why you're growing your hair!" She laughed at the discovery. Sakura's red face made it even better.

She and Sakura had been friends since childhood. They were best friends, and in one point of their life, rivals. During their junior years, they both crushed on the same guy, trying to beat the other from catching the guy's attention. They both failed in the end and after that incident, became even closer with each other. Now, their bond was unbreakable. Not even a man can destroy their friendship.

They were different and alike at the same time. They were both beautiful in their own ways. Sakura was pretty yet she didn't have that much confidence when it came to that field. Ino, on the other hand, is not afraid to flaunt what she got (though not in a slutty way). They also had the same temper; however, Sakura was physically violent while Ino was verbally harsh.

"Thank goodness tomorrow's a weekend." Ino stretched lazily on her seat.

Sakura's emerald eyes widened when she remembered something. "It's TenTen's party tomorrow!"

"Oh, shoot." Every cell in her body was awake now. "I almost forgot. I haven't bought her a gift yet! And I need a dress!"

"You have _plenty_ of dresses, Ino." Her friend pointed out. "And it says in the invitation to wear something casual. You won't need a dress."

She relaxed. "Okay, that's better. I'll just have to mix up something different then."

Sakura hid a smile. Trust Ino to try to be different from the rest- one reason why she always stood out in a crowd. When they were younger, Ino had always been the one to encourage her in all things; her source of confidence when she had none left. And for that she was eternally thankful.

"What time does the party start?" Ino asked.

"Six o'clock in the evening," the pink haired answered. She eyed the blonde warily. "You didn't bother to read the invitation, did you?"

"Of course I did," Ino lied. Sakura was just too observant with everything. "I just forgot what it said."

"That's pretty weird. You normally don't forget about parties. In fact, you'd be babbling about it for days. Are you feeling well?" Sakura reached out to touch her forehead.

Ino rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. So I forgot, big deal."

Sakura didn't look convinced but didn't say anything.

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Ino Yamanaka, only daughter of one of the wealthiest man in the State, was walking on the almost empty streets. Thank goodness no media was present at the moment; otherwise they will definitely make a_ wonderful_ story out of it.

She had dropped by the mall with the intention of only buying a gift for TenTen, but when she saw that her favorite shop had released their newest collection, she didn't think twice on shopping. She had gotten so carried away that she lost track of time. By the time she was finished, it was late at night and the mall was closing.

She could always call her father to send someone to fetch her but she didn't bother. She decided to walk. The Yamanaka residence wasn't that far from where she was and she had always wanted to do a night stroll. Her father wouldn't approve, being overprotective of her.

She saw a rolling store who sold some really delicious looking street food. Her stomach growled and that was when she remembered that she hasn't eaten dinner yet. She approached the store.

"What can I offer you, Ma'am?" the male store owner asked cheerfully.

She eyed the dishes carefully. None of them looked familiar. She pointed at two different dishes since she didn't know what they were called. "I'll have those."

"Coming right up."

She took the seat across the man and waited for her food. In a couple of minutes, her order was served. "Thank you," she told the man graciously before eating.

Street food was definitely different from all the food she ate but they didn't taste so bad. In fact, she enjoyed her meal so much and it was the first time she ate that much.

"Thank you Ma'am," the store owner said as he handed her the change. She nodded with a polite smile and left.

She patted her stomach. After all that food, she needed the exercise. She hadn't gotten far from were the store was when a car stopped beside her. She glanced at the black limousine in surprise.

The passenger window slowly climbed down and her eyes narrowed at the person on the seat. She couldn't clearly see the face since it was dark but she can tell it was a man.

"Hop in."

She blinked. "What?" She eyed the surroundings nervously. Nobody else was around so this man was really referring to her. And just what was he thinking, asking her to get in his car?!

"It's late," the man spoke again. "You need a ride."

"No thanks." She started to walk again, faster this time.

The car trailed beside her. "Stop being so stubborn and get in the car."

She ignored him and continued to walk. _'This man's crazy! What was he thinking picking up some-"_

Her eyes went round with horror at the realization. He couldn't be possibly thinking _that _right? She looked at her side and saw that the car was still there. Inside, she could feel his stare and it made her shiver.

'_Oh my God!! This man thought I was some whore he could pick up!!'_

She wanted to scream in anger and humiliation but she didn't want to cause a commotion. She did the easiest way out of the situation. She ran… and ran… without looking back… as fast as her legs would allow her to. She was tired after a few moments but pictures of what could happen if she got caught motivated her to keep going.

She only looked back when she was just a few blocks away from her house. The car was gone. She was all alone. She fell to her knees in exhaustion and relief. She was safe now.

Her breathing was heavy and she allowed her legs to rest for a while. When she relaxed a bit, she slowly stood up. Her legs still felt a bit wobbly but not as bad.

And then, behind her, she heard a low growl. Her heart stopped beating as she fearfully turned around. She almost burst into tears when she saw a _very_ large dog looking at her hungrily.

After being misjudged as a whore by some weird pedophile, she was once again mistaken as _dog food_ by this scary creature.

How unlucky can she get?

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"I will never walk home ever again!" Ino declared at the coffee shop the next day. She still hasn't gotten over what happened last night.

Sakura chuckled. "That bad huh?"

"The worst," the blonde said, grimacing at the memory. "Luckily, I managed to climb up the gates just in time… not that I'd allow some stray dog to feast on me. Still, it was scary."

"What are you guys talking about?" Naruto appeared beside them. The boy was looking cheerful as usual. With him was Hinata.

"Nothing important," Ino quickly answered, giving Sakura the look that said 'Don't you dare go telling others of what happened'.

Sakura smirked but nodded. "I didn't expect you two to be here," she said, turning to the newcomer.

"We were on our way to get ice cream when we saw you guys," Hinata explained with a smile. "So we decided to drop by and say hi."

"Have a seat," Ino invited but Naruto shook his head.

"We won't stay long. See you tonight at the party!" The couple strode off, with Hinata clinging into Naruto's arm.

"Aren't they the sweetest?" Sakura said, her eyes on the couple.

Ino nodded in agreement. She and Naruto weren't exactly that close, but they knew each other since junior high school and she considered him as a friend. As for Hinata, she was such a sweet girl it was hard not to like her. "Yeah… the cutest couple."

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Ino arrived at the party thirty minutes late. When she stepped inside, fun music filled her ears. There were already a number of people present and some of them had even started to dance.

TenTen greeted her excitedly and they chat for a second. She wished her a happy birthday and gave her the gift.

On one corner, she saw someone waving at them. She smiled when she saw it was Naruto.

"You look great," the blond guy commented as soon as she took a seat.

Ino smiled sweetly. "Thanks," she said. "So do you and Hinata and… Sasuke."

Naruto grinned, Hinata blushed slightly and Sasuke mumbled 'thank you.'

Sasuke… The guy she and Sakura fought over in the past. But the crush has long been gone now and the three of them became friends. Still, she can't resist teasing him every once in a while.

Speaking of which… "Where's Sakura?" she asked, looking around.

"Out on the dance floor with a cute guy," Naruto said with a boyish grin.

Ino's eyes widened in disbelief then grinned mischievously. She can use the information to tease her friend for a week. She loved teasing Sakura but she cared for her a lot. And she's actually happy that her friend was starting to gain more confidence.

"Hey there babe," a voice spoke huskily in her ears. "Wanna dance?"

Ino whipped around to see a guy looking at her intently. He didn't bother to hide his lust. It was written all over his soon-to-be-ruined face.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she can utter a word, someone interrupted.

"No." It was Sasuke. He eyed the man with a bored expression as he stood up and walked to her. "She's dancing with me."

She followed as he pulled her to the dance floor. "Thanks," she muttered gratefully.

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. "I hate the guy."

Ino smirked. Sasuke acted distant and cold most of the time, but it was obvious he valued his friends so much. "You know, since you dragged me here, you might as well dance with me," she said pulling him slightly closer as she started to sway with the music.

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When he arrived at the party with his older sister and brother, he immediately saw her. It wasn't hard to recognize her. There was something about her that made her stand out among all the other girls.

What he saw didn't please him. She was dancing with another guy and judging by the smile on her face, she was having fun.

"That's her, isn't she?" Beside him, his sister asked. "She's beautiful… and blonde like me."

"And you like her already because she's beautiful and blond like you?" his brother mused.

"Oh shut up," she snapped. "She looks kind enough. And I heard she's really smart."

He listened amusedly as his brother and sister argued. They always did that. He was used to it by now. Sometimes, he wondered though, if he really was the youngest of the three. The two acted like 10 years old.

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"Margarita!" Naruto shouted over the music. By this time most people already had more than a couple of drinks.

"Thanks!" Ino yelled back as the blond guy handed her the drink. She slowly sipped at it as she danced, careful not to spill.

Five more drinks and she had gone wild. Her cheeks were rosy pink and sweat ran down her skin making her shimmer under the disco lights.

Downing the rest of the drink from her seventh glass for the night, she placed it on a nearby ledge and smiled as a good looking guy pulled her to a dance.

By the time she decided to rest, Naruto and Sasuke were already drunk. Sakura was in the worst condition. She had already fallen asleep on the couch. Hinata had to call her parents and ask them to fetch their daughter.

Ino sat on the couch. Her world was starting to spin and she could feel all the alcohol rushing to her head.

"You okay?" Hinata asked. Among them, Hinata was the only one left that was sober.

"Yeah," Ino said with a groan. "Just a bit dizzy. I think I'll feel better after washing my face."

"Will you be okay by yourself?" There was a tinge of worry in the other girl's voice.

She nodded hastily. "Of course," she said. The last thing she wanted was to become a burden to somebody. Hinata already had her hands full with a drunk Naruto and Sasuke who kept quarrelling with each other.

Her vision was a bit foggy now and it was by pure luck that she managed to reach the rest room without falling flat on her face.

She flinched when she saw her reflection. She looked so wasted. Her hair was all over and her face was so red she looked like a cooked lobster. Also, her eyes were so heavy she felt that she needed a match stick between her eyelids to keep them open.

She splashed a handful of water to her face. Its coolness was soothing but it didn't seem to help her condition that much. She sighed and wiped her face with her handkerchief before stepping out.

What was waiting outside for her was something she wasn't prepared of.

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"Baby dance with meeeeeee…"

"Let me feel your body against miiiinnne…"

"Let's dance and forget everythiiinnggg…"

"I wanna make you mine toniggghhhht…"

He sighed. A drunken Temari with a drunken Kankuro would never go well together. It was bad enough to have both his siblings bicker with each other almost everyday but what he was seeing now was much more frightening.

His brother and sister were _singing_ together.

He shook his head and chose to ignore them, allowing his eyes to drift over the place and land on the blond girl he had been watching all night. She was making her way back to her friend's table now. His eyes narrowed when he noticed that she was somewhat walking unsteadily and it hit him that she was drunk.

His eyes roamed the place once more and saw a group of men looking at her in a way that made him growl under his breath. He didn't like it one bit.

He saw one man stood up from his seat and when he looked back at the blond girl, she was walking towards the rest room's direction.

Something bad was going to happen and it seemed to involve _his_ little lady.

Acting out of instincts, he stood up and followed the man.

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The guy stood there with a smug grin, watching her like a prey. She hated the way his eyes moved all over her body. She would love to wipe that grin off his face. Or better yet, wipe off his face per se.

She ignored him and started to pass by him but he grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall. She groaned in pain at the impact, her head aching even worse.

She almost wanted to throw up when she felt his lips on her neck. She tried to struggle but the more she did, the weaker she became.

His lips slowly climbed down but before the assaulter could go any further, someone grabbed him from behind and threw a punch that knocked him out.

Her world became blurry and her world started to spin. The last thing she saw before falling into darkness was the most beautiful pair of green eyes she had ever seen.

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_-Siren Skye-_


End file.
